When I was in college -- okay, when I was in high school -- and my friends and I talked about mood-enhancing substances, we weren't talking about serotonin.

We weren't talking about lentils, either.

Though my misspent youth is far behind me, my body still craves all the mood enhancement it can get, and legumes (lentils, beans and peas) are a good source of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel mood-enhanced: balanced, relaxed and happy. With too little serotonin, you end up feeling cranky, sleep-deprived, a bit anxious, sugar-deficient, and in a generally bad mood.

I'm not sure why, but I call brown and green lentils lentils, and pink, white and yellow ones dal. Really, the difference isn't the color; dal are lentils that have been hulled and split.

Stored in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, dal will keep for up to two years. Some of the dal that have graced my pantry, in addition to the plain brown and Puy green lentils, are:

Directions

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and briefly sauté the rosemary or thyme, just to bring out the aroma. Add the lentils and vegetable stock, cover, and simmer over lowest heat for 10 minutes or until lentils are cooked but not totally mushy.

Drain the lentils and add to a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, salt and pepper, and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add half to the lentils, and stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients, including remaining dressing, and mix well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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A wonderful book "The Moghul Microwave" by Julie Sahni has a recipe for a very good lentil salad with cumin and citrus dressing, quite different from this one. (The book adapts Indian cooking techniques to microwave cooking with remarkable success. So it's much easier to follow Sahni's recipes than most Indian recipes. The lentil recipe is no exception.)

what a beautiful picture! i love lentils too - dal especially. i've tried to make them a few times and failed miserbly. they always seem to go mushy on me. this recipe sounds delish i think i'll have another go!

Aria, the mushy thing happens to me sometimes, too. Definitely try to undercook them, and then turn off the heat and let them sit, covered, in the pan for a few minutes to finish. Keep tasting along the way.

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Welcome to The Perfect Pantry®

My name is Lydia Walshin. From my tiny kitchen in Boston's South End, I share recipes that use what we keep in our pantries, the usual and not-so-usual ingredients that spice up our lives. Thanks so much for visiting.